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Hayden-Clark Alumni Center receives “Green” award

Bradley’s Hayden-Clark Alumni Center is leading the way in the University’s commitment to environmentally sustainable new construction. Built in 2011 at a cost of more than $12 million, the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center was recognized in January as the first new building in Peoria to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

“LEED certification for our Alumni Center demonstrates our commitment to environmentally sustainable practices,” President Joanne Glasser said. “We are proud of the innovations introduced in the transformation of our campus and will continue to implement similar socially responsible measures in the future.”

The LEED green building program is an internationally recognized certification system that rates how well a building or community performs across six LEED categories: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design. Founded in 1993, USGBC developed the rating system in 2000.

Qualifying for LEED certification

There are four levels of LEED certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The Hayden-Clark Alumni Center is LEED certified to the Silver level.

“LEED certification, an entirely voluntary building standard, is a great accomplishment for our University and our local community,” said KIM GREEN ’96, Bradley’s planning supervisor.

To qualify, the Alumni Center construction project earned certification through various sustainable efforts ranging from being greater than 16 percent more energy efficient than similar buildings to reducing water consumption by more than 20 percent. Project managers also signed a two-year procurement agreement for off-site renewable energy to offset 35 percent of the electricity.

Dewberry, a national architectural firm that has worked with the University for more than 30 years, recognizes Bradley as a leader in sustainability. “We believe that the new building projects on campus should complement Bradley’s overall goals of sustainability,” remarked Chad Schmidgall, a sustainable design coordinator and architect in Dewberry’s Peoria office. “With Bradley’s recent high-efficiency boiler and chiller plant upgrades as well as its campuswide lighting upgrades, this project continues the theme of sustainability. To take it one step further, Bradley and Dewberry applied for third-party verification of this sustainability. I am proud that the USGBC has awarded LEED Silver certification for this project.”

River City Construction diverted 87 percent of construction waste. Products specified included more than 24 percent recycled content, and more than 57 percent of those products were purchased within 500 miles of Peoria. Low volatile organic compounds (VOC) materials were used throughout the building, and more than 90 percent of the occupants have views available to them.

The 39,554-square-foot facility is one of five building projects completed as part of the $161 million Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance that concluded in fall 2011. The recently renovated and expanded historic Westlake Hall is being evaluated for LEED Gold certification. “We are certainly pleased to have our first LEED-certified building and look forward to more, including Westlake Hall,” said GARY ANNA ’75, vice president for business affairs.